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About 32,000 new cases of primary cancer of the pancreas were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2005, and as many people died from this disease. World incidence of pancreatic cancer was 232,306 in 2002. The vast majority of diagnosed cases are late stage and metastatic. Pancreatic cancer is almost uniformly deadly; five-year relative survival rates are approximately 4%, and, if left untreated, median survival is about 4 months. Although only 2% of cancers in the US are pancreatic, it is the 4th leading killer.

Surgery is the treatment of choice for early, resectable pancreatic cancer, but only 20% of tumors are resectable. External beam and intraoperative radiation therapy decrease local progression in patients with unresectable, locally advanced disease. Chemotherapy (typically with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or gemcitabine) has been used as an adjunct to radiation treatment.3

Using the CyberKnife® System to treat pancreatic cancer:
Two published studies by Koong et al.4,5 have shown that the CyberKnife® System, equipped with the Synchrony® Respiratory Tracking System, was capable of delivering therapeutic radiation with minimal toxicity to tumors in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Taken together, tumor progression was halted in 30 of 31 patients in these studies.

In February 2019, Dr. Rose Mustafa, a fellowship trained breast surgeon who specializes in surgical care for benign diseases and cancer, will be joining the Capital Health Center for Comprehensive Breast Care, located at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell.

With a reputation for providing advanced care to patients with complex, neurological conditions affecting the brain and spine, Capital Institute for Neurosciences recently welcomed two new advanced specialists, Drs. Vernard Fennell and Varun Naragum, to the Institute’s Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center team. They join neurosurgeon Dr. Michael F. Stiefel in providing some of the latest techniques to care for stroke patients.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US, with more than 48,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Because pancreas cancers and precancerous lesions are among the most challenging tumors to diagnose and effectively treat, Capital Health now offers the most advanced screening and treatment options as part of its Center for Digestive Health and Cancer Center, both located at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell.